Dear Anxiety,
Should I name you something? Maybe it would make you a little less intimidating and a little more human. I used to picture you as a fuzzy black shapeless entity that I couldn’t quite make sense of, clinging to my body and pulling me back from moving forward. I’m seeing you more clearly now, though. I’m getting to know your idiosyncrasies day by day. You seem to know me very well. You know my weaknesses, my doubts, my fears and always the perfect time to strike.
I should hate you, but I don’t. I fear you. I resent you sometimes. I regret you. But I don’t hate you.
You see, you’ve taught me so much. Because of you, I truly know myself. I feel liberated because I can finally accept myself for who I really am. I am flawed. I make mistakes. Not everyone likes me. When I mess up, you’re there to remind me. You make me feel it. I cannot escape you. Your grip is too strong, your voice too loud inside my head. In those moments, I have to confront my reality. Instead of running away, blocking out all negative thoughts, you force me to accept. Of course, many of the thoughts you throw my way are completely irrational. That’s kinda your modus operandi, isn’t it? There was a time when I ran from them and from you. I denied negativity, I denied sadness, I denied you. I pretended that I was okay, all of the time. Of course, you lurked in the background, waiting for me to let my carefully constructed guard down. And when I did, boy did you hit me with everything you had. It was terrible; the worst experience of my life. But at least it was real. It was my truth. And you gave that to me, so I owe you thanks. Thank you for finally forcing me to confront and accept the person I really am: imperfect but actually quite resilient.
You are now an integral part of my person, a part of me that I will never fully be free from. You will be there, for better or worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, ’till death do us part. I could try to pretend that you won’t be, but ignoring you seems to make you stronger, angrier and more determined. So I will embrace you. If we work together, we might just be able to live together in relative harmony.
So what do I see you as now? Well, now I see you as a cat. You play with me sometimes, but most of the time you get bored and fall asleep. And then I get to feed you fried chicken, so everyone’s happy.
I’m sure I’ll see you soon. I’ll be ready.
Love,
Jane x
‘If we work together, we might just be able to live together in relative harmony.’ This is beautiful. Not once have I considered thinking of it in this light. That’s so uplifting and helpful.
❤ ❤ ❤
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you find it helpful, love hearing that ❤️🙌
Beautiful ❤️
Thank you ❤️
I especially liked how you emphasised the difference between fearing and hating.
Very moving.
Thank you! There is quite a difference! Hope all is well x
Your tango with anxiety is uplifting. I am glad you are strong and accepting of it. Naming it a cat is apt. May your cat purr like a nice kitty, giving you peace and tranquility always. Garfield hugs for being strong!🤗🤗😃
Aw thank you so much 🙂 your comments are always lovely and so positive, thank you! Xx
This is a brilliant post. It’s so helpful too and I love that despite how horrible anxiety can be you manage to make this post quite positive. Thank you for sharing. 😊
I am so glad you found it helpful and your comment has really lifted my spirits; thank you! ☺️
Aw no problem at all 🙂
Amazing ❤️
Thank you ☺️
I love this! I feel like we write similarly. I write a tonne of stuff about anxiety and depression. Sucks. I’ve just decided to make friends with anxiety and with depression. You can check out my stuff at http://www.mandyhalbot.com ! Looking forward to more of your reads..I am battling the same demon girl.
Hi Mandy! Great to connect with you. It does suck but I’m learning to embrace it as part of who I am. Love your blog!
Thanks! Looking forward to continuing reading your work! It’s a breath of fresh air! Girl you need to come out of that closet and share with the ones you love most!
So glad to have found this post ^_^ Sometimes it’s easy to bury yourself in the negative that this is a refreshing take!
Thank you ❤️ I just wanted to approach it in a slightly more optimistic way! Thanks for reading ☺️
Daaaaamn. I never looked at it this way. Thank you for writing this. You’ve taught me something new. ☺️❤️ Also, would love if you checked out my poems!!!
I’m so glad you liked it! I sure will 🙂
Quick comment. I named my anxiety “Fucking Tracy”. And I tell her to stfu when she acts up… it doesn’t always work but I figure it’s worth a try!
Man I love this so much ✌️
It’s interesting to hear such a positive twist on perceiving anxiety and your experience of it. It really does feel like a part of who you are, doesn’t it?
Thank you! It really does. It’s become such a part of me that I suppose I have to try and see the bright side of that and look at what I might have gained as a result. Thanks for reading!